Puri: The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), assigned to maintain and preserve the Jagannath temple, Wednesday initiated steps to repair the Jagmohan complex.
The Shree Jagannath temple administration (SJTA), meanwhile, enforced a new timetable for rituals to facilitate the repair work. The temple administration also cancelled the Sahana Mela darshan and Parimanik darshan for the deities to facilitate renovation work.
SJTA sources said the Mangala Alati ritual for the deities will be held at 2am daily and Madhyan Dhoopa at 11am. “ASI employees will carry out renovation work at Jagmohan between 11am and 6pm. Servitors will resume the evening rituals soon after the completion of repair work,” said an SJTA official.
Temple administration sources said devotees will not be allowed to enter the sanctum sanctorum during the renovation. “Henceforth, devotees will be allowed to have darshan from the Natamandap of the temple,” said the official. According to Srimandir sources, ASI officials and members of temple technical committee have re-examined the dilapidated portion of Jagmohan before commencing renovation work.
Employees of the Central agency started mending the temple structure in the presence of collector Aravind Agarwal, ASI superintendent in-charge Tapan Bhattacharya and the members of the technical committee.
According to sources, the works department will erect steel scaffolding at Jagmohan on an expenditure of Rs 25 lakh for the renovation. The SJTA, meanwhile, engaged the Dhanbad-based Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research (CIMFR) to design a suitable mechanism to protect the sanctum sanctorum from dust during the renovation work.
“A few ASI experts to be drafted from Delhi will examine the dilapidated structure of Jagmohan February 2 and guide the employees engaged in the renovation,” said a member of the temple technical committee. PNN
